Game 75 Recap: Phantoms Push Past Sound Tigers
ALLENTOWN - In a tune up for the postseason, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (46-19-10) overcame a sloppy start on their way to a 5-2 win over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (36-30-8) Friday night at the PPL Center.
The Sound Tigers opened the scoring 2:22 into the contest, but the Phantoms rattled off four straight goals to take control of the game in the middle period.
Danick Martel led the way with two goals, while Reece Willcox added a goal and two assists to pace the Phantoms' attack. Newcomer Isaac Ratcliffe scored his first career professional goal in his pro debut tonight, while Mike Vecchione added an empty net tally to complete the 5-2 final score in the closing seconds of the third period. Dustin Tokarski picked up his 20th win on the season, stopping 29 of the 31 shots he faced.
Playoff Update: While the Phantoms have secured first place in the Atlantic Division already, the other three playoff teams in the Atlantic Division are still jockeying for position. The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, after a win in Springfield Friday, need just one point in the standings with two games left to secure 2nd place and home ice advantage in the first round. Meanwhile, Charlotte's 5-3 win in Providence Friday night moves them to needing just one point in their regular season finale to guarantee they won't finish fourth and face the Phantoms in the first round.
Looking Ahead: The Phantoms finish the regular season Saturday night at home against Atlantic Division rival Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Phantoms' Lines (Starters in Bold/Italics)
Greg Carey - Phil Varone - Pascal LabergeIsaac Ratcliffe - Mike Vecchione - Nicolas Aube-Kubel Tyrell Goulbourne - Radel Fazleev - Carsen Twarynski Danick Martel - Cole Bardreau - Chris Conner
T.J. Brennan - Mark FriedmanWill O'Neill - Frank Hora David Drake - Reece Willcox
Dustin Tokarski - Alex Lyon
Phantoms' Scratches: Anthony Stolarz, Sam Morin, Phil Myers, Colin McDonald, Corban Knight, Mikhail Vorobyev, Max Lamarche, Alex Krushelnyski and James de Haas
POST-GAME REACTION
POST-GAME RECAP
The Phantoms looked very much like a team that had nothing to play for in the opening half of the first period.
Bridgeport grabbed an early power play and quickly converted to take a 1-0 lead 2:22 into the contest. Tanner Fritz got a puck to Sebastian Aho, who found Steve Bernier for his 21st of the season.
In fact, the Sound Tigers were dominating the Phantoms early on - out shooting them 6-3 at one point early on in the contest.
Then, the Phantoms began to get to their game - tying the game up at 1-1 with 6:58 left before the first intermission. Radel Fazleev got a puck back to the point for David Drake, who sent it across to his D-partner Reece Willcox. From the top of the right-wing circle, Willcox took his shot and placed it perfectly - avoiding an outstanding screen in front of the Sound Tigers' goaltender by Carsen Twarynski - for his third goal of the season.
Lehigh Valley took control in the middle frame, outshooting the Sound Tigers 12-6 in the 2nd period and extending their lead with a pair of goals.
First, it was Isaac Ratcliffe tipping one in from the slot past Gibson to give the Phantoms a 2-1 lead at the 12:27 mark. The play was discussed by the officials for a potential high-stick from Ratcliffe, who had his stick way above his waist when making contact with the puck, but the goal stood as called. It was Ratcliffe's first career pro goal.
Later, after Mark Friedman was boarded by Steve Bernier, Danick Martel tallied on the power play to make it a 3-1 Lehigh Valley lead heading to the third. An errant shot from Nicolas Aube-Kubel bounced off the back glass and right to Martel, who from behind the net quickly shuffled it to the side of the net before banking it in off Gibson for Martel's 24th of the season.
Instead of coasting to the finish, the Phantoms kept their proverbial foot on the pedal in the third - adding to their lead halfway through the period on Martel's 2nd of the night and 25th of the year after a pretty display of passing coming up through the neutral zone by Cole Bardreau and Mark Friedman.
Bridgeport cut the Phantoms' lead to 4-2 late in the third, but that's as close as they would get as Mike Vecchione added an empty net tally in the final minute of play to complete the 5-2 final score.
GAME SUMMARY
1st Period
1:58: LV - (PP) Ratcliffe, minor (tripping) 2:22: BST - PPG Bernier (21) - Aho, Fritz 13:02: LV - Willcox (3) - Drake, Fazleev
2nd Period
1:23: LV - (PP) Conner, minor (hooking) 6:06: BST - (PP) Aho, minor (hooking) 12:27: LV - Ratcliffe (1) - Willcox, Vecchione 14:13: BST - (PP) Bernier, minor (boarding) 15:03: LV - PPG Martel (24) Aube-Kubel, Conner
3rd Period
3:04: BST - (PP) St. Denis, minor (elbowing) 5:40: BST - (PP) Bernier, minor (high-sticking) 10:00: LV - Martel (25) - Friedman, Bardreau 17:55: BST - Bailey (17) - Quenneville 19:05: LV - ENG Vecchione (17) - Willcox, Twarynski 19:22: BST - Holmstrom, minor (roughing) 19:22: LV - Fazleev, minor (roughing) 19:22: LV - (PP) Fazleev, minor (roughing)
BOXSCORE
Lehigh Valley 1 - 2 - 2 = 5 Bridgeport 1 - 0 - 1 = 2
Shots
Lehigh Valley 11 - 12 - 10 = 33 Bridgeport 10 - 6 - 15 = 31
Goalies
LV - Dustin Tokarski (29 saves - 31 shots) BST - Christopher Gibson (28 saves - 32 shots)
Power Play
LV: 1-for-4 BST: 1-for-3
Penalty Kill
LV: 2-for-3 BST: 3-for-4
Attendance: 8,425
